Earth moving equipment

Abstract

An earth moving and land grading machine includes a frame and road wheels mounted on the frame, with a forwardly directed device for permitting connection to a prime mover. The frame has a bin for receiving material. A rear wall is movable between a first position, in which the bin is substantially open for receiving material therein, to a second, forward position during movement for delivering the material from the bin. Movement of the rear wall between the first position and the second, forward position is via a hydraulic ram having a piston. The piston has an outer end that moves along a fixed path and is pivotally connected to an arm partway along a length thereof, so that portions of the arm on each side of the pivotable connection have unequal lengths. A first length of the unequal arm lengths has a longer length and is connected to the rear wall and the second length of the unequal arm lengths has a shorter length and is connected to the earth moving and land grading machine. Upon movement of the hydraulic ram in a first direction, the rear wall moves rearwardly and upon movement of the hydraulic ram in a second direction, the rear wall moves forwardly, with movement in the first direction and the second direction being by a distance greater than the movement of the piston of the hydraulic ram.

I claim:  
     
       1. An earth moving and land grading machine, comprising: 
       a frame;  
       road wheels on said frame; and,  
       forwardly directed means for permitting connection to a prime mover, said frame having a bin for material, said bin having a rear wall movable between a first position, wherein said bin is substantially open for receiving the material therein, to a second, forward position during movement for delivering the material from said bin, movement of said rear wall between said first position and said second, forward position being via a hydraulic ram having a piston, said piston having an outer end that moves along a fixed path and is pivotally connected to an arm partway along a length thereof, so that portions of said arm on each side of the pivotable connection have unequal lengths, a first length of said unequal lengths having a longer length is connected to said rear wall and the second length of said unequal lengths having a shorter length is connected to said earth moving and land grading machine, so that upon the movement of said hydraulic ram in a first direction, said rear wall moves rearwardly and upon movement of said hydraulic ram in a second direction, said rear wall moves forwardly, with movement in said first direction and said second direction being by a distance greater than the movement of said piston of said hydraulic ram.  
     
     
       2. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , wherein said longer length of said arm is connected to said rear wall via a link pivotably connected between an outer end of said arm and said rear wall. 
     
     
       3. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , wherein said shorter length of said arm is connected to said earth moving and land grading machine via a link pivotably connected between an outer end of said arm and said rear wall. 
     
     
       4. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , wherein said hydraulic ram is a double-acting ram and the movement of said rear wall in each said direction in effected via operation of said hydraulic ram. 
     
     
       5. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , further comprising a forwardly extending lip for entering a ground surface and for passing the material into said bin. 
     
     
       6. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  5 , wherein said rear wall is initially located rearwardly of a front side of said earth moving and land grading machine and the material is able to enter said bin over said forwardly extending lip and is able to fill said earth moving and land grading machine when said bin is to be emptied, said hydraulic ram moving forwardly of said rear wall for delivering material from said bin. 
     
     
       7. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , wherein said bin has a floor comprises of a first part and a second part, said first part being fixed and covering a forward end of said floor and said second part being movable between a position wherein the second part of said floor is behind said first part of said floor for providing a floor for the entire said earth moving and land grading machine to a position wherein said second part of said floor of said bin substantially overlays the first part of said floor of said bin and terminates close to a front part of said first part. 
     
     
       8. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  7 , wherein said rear wall is connected with said second part of said floor of said bin, so that when said second part is behind said first part of said floor of said bin, said rear wall is connected thereto, and further including means for releasing the connection of said rear wall when said second part overlies said first part, so that said rear wall is movable forwardly over said second part of said floor of said bin. 
     
     
       9. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  7 , wherein when said bin is to be filled, said second part of said floor of said bin is located in a forward position with said second part being latched to said first part and said rear wall is at a rearward position of said second part of said floor, when said bin is substantially filled with material, said second part of said floor of said bin is unlatched from said first part and said second part of said floor and said rear wall move rearwardly via said hydraulic ram for exposing said first part of said floor, so that additional material is able to be fed into said bin. 
     
     
       10. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  7 , further comprising means for reducing resistance on said second part of said floor of said bin when said first part moves over said second part, said means for reducing resistance being located along a length of said first part of said floor of said bin. 
     
     
       11. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  10 , wherein said means for reducing resistance on said second part of said floor of said bin is rollers extending upwardly from said first part of said floor of said bin. 
     
     
       12. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , further comprising an apron movable over a front part of said bin after said bin has been filled with the material for maintaining the material therein. 
     
     
       13. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , wherein said road wheels are on each side of said earth moving and land grading machine and with said each side having a pair of beams pivotably mounted thereon, there being at least two of said road wheels on each beam of said pair of beams, said road wheels of one of said beams being transversely further outward from said frame than other said road wheels, and said road wheels on each said beam being spaced differently in a longitudinal direction so that said road wheels partially overlap one another. 
     
     
       14. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  13 , wherein said road wheels are arranged so that said beams are free to rotate about their pivots, so that there is substantial compensation for variations in a ground surface over which said earth moving and land grading machine passes. 
     
     
       15. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  13 , wherein pivots for said beams carrying said road wheels on at least one side of said earth moving and land grading machine are vertically movable relative to said frame so that a transverse orientation of said earth moving and land grading machine, relative to a ground surface, is capable of being varied. 
     
     
       16. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  1 , further comprising tines located at a rearward part of said earth moving and land grading machine, said tines being movable from a first position at which said tines are spaced from a ground surface to a second position at which said tines enter the ground surface for breaking up the ground surface for providing the material to be received in said bin. 
     
     
       17. An earth moving and land grading machine, comprising: 
       a frame;  
       road wheels on each side of said frame, with each said side of said frame having a pair of transversely spaced beams, each said beam being individually mounted for pivotal movement relative to said frame, with at least two of said road wheels on each said beam, said road wheels mounted on one said beam are positioned transversely outwardly from said frame relative to said road wheels mounted upon another of said beams, said road wheels on each said beam being spaced differently in a longitudinal direction so that said road wheels partially overlap with inner surfaces of adjacent said road wheels, said inner surfaces of said adjacent said road wheels being sufficiently closely adjacent so that a build-up of soil on said road wheels is restricted due to the closely adjacent positioning between overlapping portions of said road wheels.  
     
     
       18. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  17 , wherein said road wheels are arranged so that said beams are free to rotate about their pivots, so that there is substantial compensation for variations in a ground surface over which said earth moving and land grading machine passes. 
     
     
       19. The earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  17 , wherein pivots for said beams carrying said road wheels on at least one side of said earth moving and land grading machine are vertically movable relative to said frame so that a transverse orientation of said earth moving and land grading machine, relative to a ground surface, is capable of being varied. 
     
     
       20. A method for filling and emptying an earth moving and land grading machine having a soil-receiving bin with two floor parts, a first of said floor parts being a rear floor part for moving over a second of said floor parts being a forward floor part, said earth moving and land grading machine further including a movable wall wherein, when said soil-receiving bin is to be filled, said rear floor part is located over said forward floor part and said wall is rearward of said rear floor part, said method comprising the steps of: 
       moving in a forward direction said earth moving and land grading machine until an exposed volume of said soil-receiving bin is filled with soil;  
       moving rearwardly said rear floor part and said wall so that the soil is moved to a rearward portion of said earth moving and land grading machine; and,  
       continuing to moving in said earth moving and land grading machine in the forward direction until said soil-receiving bin is substantially fully loaded.  
     
     
       21. The method for filling and emptying an earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  20 , further comprising the steps of: 
       moving forwardly said rear floor part and said wall so that the soil is removed from said earth moving and land grading machine;  
       moving said rear floor part to a position where said rear floor part overlays said forward floor part;  
       holding in said position said rear floor part relative to said forward floor part; and,  
       moving forwardly said wall to remove any remaining soil from said soil-receiving bin.  
     
     
       22. The method for filling and emptying an earth moving and land grading machine according to claim  20 , further comprising the step of: 
       placing an apron over said soil-receiving bin once said soil-receiving bin is substantially fully loaded.